1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the field of ditch digging and refilling devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A number of machines have been designed for filling a trench or ditch. A representative sample of the prior art is disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.:
1,563,975 issued to C. F. Goeringer; PA1 1,677,342 issued to J. H. Hodgen; PA1 1,807,489 issued to W. V. Middleton et al.; PA1 2,714,775 issued to L. A. Crawford; PA1 2,857,691 issued to D. M. Curran; PA1 3,091,873 issued to B. B. West; PA1 3,119,193 issued to E. D. Herschberger; and PA1 3,181,258 issued to W. W. Duncan.
Generally the prior art devices shown in the aforementioned patents include a horizontal auger which is rotated to propel the dirt along one side of the trench into the trench. In actual practice, dirt may line both sides of the trench thereby requiring the operator to first drive one of the prior art machines along one side of the trench to propel the dirt into the trench and to then drive the machine along the opposite side of the trench to force the remaining dirt into the trench. Disclosed herein is a trench filling device which includes a pair of augers having flights positioned on the opposite sides of the trench to simultaneously propel the dirt along the opposite sides of the trench into the trench. Thus, the time required to fill the trench may be reduced by approximately one-half as compared to the prior art machines.
It is desirable to compact the dirt forced into the trench in order to prevent voids and air pockets thereby minimizing sinking or settling of the dirt within the trench. Thus, various devices have been provided to propel the dirt into the trench and to subsequently compact the dirt within the trench. The U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,684,882 and 1,947,356 issued to A. J. Penote disclose a combined filler and tamping device for compacting the dirt within the trench. Two other devices are disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,891,335 issued to F. H. Linneman and 3,471,953 issued to H. M. Wyatt both of which disclose a rotatably mounted tamping wheel. Another device of interest is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,596,384 issued to R. E. Neujahr which discloses an evacuation refill packer. Disclosed herein is a new back filling and compacting apparatus which includes the previously described horizontal auger with a vertical auger extending beneath the horizontal auger to compact the dirt within the trench. The vertical auger carries the dirt to the bottom of the trench whereat the dirt is tightly compacted against the bottom of the trench as compared to the prior art devices which do not carry the dirt to the bottom of the trench but instead tamp or force the dirt against the ground.